Here's a small example that creates a new workbook, inserts some data and creates a chart on sheet1. Once you get the hang of using OLE, record a macro then generalize, like so (the recorded VBA macro is after __END__):

#!perl

use strict;
use warnings;
use Win32::OLE;
use Win32::OLE::Const "Microsoft Excel";

my $xls = Win32::OLE->new('Excel.Application');
$xls->Workbooks->Add();
$xls->{Visible} = -1;
$xls->Sheets("Sheet1")->Range('A1')->{Value} = 'Left';
$xls->Sheets("Sheet1")->Range('B1')->{Value} = 'Right';
for (2 .. 5) {
    $xls->Sheets("Sheet1")->Range("A$_")->{Value} = $_;
    $xls->Sheets("Sheet1")->Range("B$_")->{Value} = $_ * 2;
}

$xls->Charts->Add();
$xls->ActiveChart->SetSourceData({ 
              Source =>$xls->Sheets('Sheet1')->Range('A1:B5'), 
              PlotBy =>xlColumns,
         });
$xls->ActiveChart->Location({ Where => xlLocationAsObject, Name =>'She
+et1'});

__END__
Here is the macro I used
Sub Macro1()

    Charts.Add
    ActiveChart.SetSourceData Source:=Sheets("Sheet1").Range("A1:B5"),
+ PlotBy:= _
        xlRows
    ActiveChart.Location Where:=xlLocationAsObject, Name:="Sheet1"
    With ActiveChart
        .HasTitle = False
        .Axes(xlCategory, xlPrimary).HasTitle = False
        .Axes(xlValue, xlPrimary).HasTitle = False
    End With
End Sub
[download]

Good luck...

if it just has to be a graph and doesn't necessarily have to be an Excel graph, or be embedded in an Excel spreadsheet, GD::Graph could probably do what you need.

otherwise, you could probably hack something together with one or another of the various Win32 and OLE modules but i don't do windows stuff so i really wouldn't know quite where to start.

anders pearson

Thanks. I forgot to mention that actually.

First, It needs to be Excel for various reaasons, second, I don't know too much windows stuff (in relation to Win32::OLE), but saw in the WriteExcel docs that this may be the path to go. So if anyone knows a solution via this method, I'd be interested (an explanation would be appreciated that keeps in mind I haven't messed with Win32::OLE, and I've only done a little windows programming -- API, not MFC, though I'm familiar with the latter ... now)

would it be possible to make the graph in excel manually

Quite possible. I've already done it :) I'm trying to make a perl script to do it now so that it can be done in the future with new data sets, and with much LESS TIME. There are quite a few graphs needed, and making them is very simple ... however time consuming.

and then replace the data as needed using SpreadSheet::WriteExcel

Once the graphs are done, the program can stop. I don't need any more advance/further handling (by Excel or perl, anyway) of the data at that point.